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| Assisted dying bill overwhelmingly rejected by MPs | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| MPs have overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would have allowed doctors to help terminally ill people end their lives. | |
| In the first House of Commons vote on assisted dying for 20 years, MPs voted 330 to 118 to reject the bill. | |
| Under the proposals, a terminally ill person would have been able to request assistance with ending their life if they have been diagnosed by a doctor as having less than six months to live. | |
| Passions ran high from the beginning of the parliamentary debate. Sir Crispin Blunt, a Tory former minister whose parents and father-in-law died of cancer, made the case for people to be given a choice how to end their lives, saying he was somewhat “appalled that the Catholic and faith lobby seek to limit personal autonomy”. | Passions ran high from the beginning of the parliamentary debate. Sir Crispin Blunt, a Tory former minister whose parents and father-in-law died of cancer, made the case for people to be given a choice how to end their lives, saying he was somewhat “appalled that the Catholic and faith lobby seek to limit personal autonomy”. |
| Caroline Spelman, a Conservative former environment secretary, said the sanctity of life should be respected and older people should not feel they are a burden on their family. | Caroline Spelman, a Conservative former environment secretary, said the sanctity of life should be respected and older people should not feel they are a burden on their family. |
| The Labour MP Lyn Brown said she was concerned that elderly people could be “emotionally blackmailed” by relatives to end their lives. | The Labour MP Lyn Brown said she was concerned that elderly people could be “emotionally blackmailed” by relatives to end their lives. |
| However, another Labour MP, George Howarth, said he felt it could be a “perfectly rational choice for people to say they do not want to be a burden on family and friends”. | However, another Labour MP, George Howarth, said he felt it could be a “perfectly rational choice for people to say they do not want to be a burden on family and friends”. |
| One of the most emotional interventions was from Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi, who said her 83-year-old mother had been given three days to live and began to say she felt a burden on her family and could not go on, yet survived and fully recovered. | One of the most emotional interventions was from Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi, who said her 83-year-old mother had been given three days to live and began to say she felt a burden on her family and could not go on, yet survived and fully recovered. |
| Another Labour MP, Jim Fitzpatrick, said his use asbestos gloves and other clothing during his time in the fire service had led him to fear a painful death from mesothelioma. “If that’s what lies in store for me, I want to control my own death,” he said. | Another Labour MP, Jim Fitzpatrick, said his use asbestos gloves and other clothing during his time in the fire service had led him to fear a painful death from mesothelioma. “If that’s what lies in store for me, I want to control my own death,” he said. |
| The debate has come to the Commons after the supreme court said in 2014 that it could not make a ruling in favour of Tony Nicklinson’s right to die because it was a matter for parliament. | The debate has come to the Commons after the supreme court said in 2014 that it could not make a ruling in favour of Tony Nicklinson’s right to die because it was a matter for parliament. |
| Peers discussed the arguments in the last parliament when Lord Falconer introduced an assisted dying bill which would have allowed doctors to prescribe a lethal dose to terminally ill patients judged to have less than six months to live. They were evenly split when the bill was given its second reading in the House of Lords and the legislation was nodded through to committee stage without division. | Peers discussed the arguments in the last parliament when Lord Falconer introduced an assisted dying bill which would have allowed doctors to prescribe a lethal dose to terminally ill patients judged to have less than six months to live. They were evenly split when the bill was given its second reading in the House of Lords and the legislation was nodded through to committee stage without division. |
| However, it was held up by amendments and ran out of time before the end of the last parliament. After the election, Falconer suggested his proposals would have more of a chance if they were taken up by an MP in the Commons. | However, it was held up by amendments and ran out of time before the end of the last parliament. After the election, Falconer suggested his proposals would have more of a chance if they were taken up by an MP in the Commons. |
| It is clear that David Cameron does not favour introducing assisted dying but it would be difficult for the government to ignore the legislation if it were to be overwhelmingly backed by MPs. | It is clear that David Cameron does not favour introducing assisted dying but it would be difficult for the government to ignore the legislation if it were to be overwhelmingly backed by MPs. |
| The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said on Thursday: “The PM’s views are clear on this issue. He is not convinced further steps need to be taken and he is not in favour of an approach that would take us closer to euthanasia.” | The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said on Thursday: “The PM’s views are clear on this issue. He is not convinced further steps need to be taken and he is not in favour of an approach that would take us closer to euthanasia.” |